Topic Tuesday// Speak Up: The Power in Using Your Voice // Tuesday 30th January 2024 5:30-7PM AEDT

[amber22]

On Tuesday 30th January, join us for a discussion with a SANE Peer Support Worker about advocacy, agency, authenticity and the power of your voice.

The event start times across Australia are below:

WA: 2:30pm 
NT: 4:00pm

SA: 5:00pm 

QLD: 4:30pm

NSW, ACT, VIC & TAS: 5:30pm 

Want to receive a reminder on the night? Hit the 'Support' button below and we will tag you 30 minutes before the event starts. 

New to the forums or want to get involved in this discussion? Check out the How To Guide for Topic Tuesdays.

Hope to see you there in the chat on the night!

  

[TideisTurning]

Hey everyone!   

The discussion will be kicking off in 10-15 minutes on this thread! To come along, please refresh this page at 5:30pm and join the conversation. 

In this discussion, we will be talking about:   

• Speaking up in relation to safety and self-expression 
• How to prepare ourselves for difficult conversations or circumstances when voicing our thoughts, opinions, or needs 
• Caring for ourselves while advocating for what we believe in 

We can’t wait to see you there at 5:30pm!   

Tagging those that have interacted with the post/ or that are online right now and might like to join the discussion: @Kate15 @Patches59 @exploring @Snowie @PeaceOfficer @chibam @Sunnyside226 @Shaz51 @Patchworks @Jumbu @ZoZo94 @7cough9 @8ppleTree @Glisten @Zoe7 @Cali_Rose @ButterflyWings @Acanthiza @Bill16 @Birdofparadise8 @Blackbird11 @Bow @Captain24 @Dimity @Doog @Eve7 @Hopefulsoul @Oaktree @Rosie01 @Former-Member @StuF @TAB @2457miriam-7nhb @LizBet14 @Meowmy @Miss-wish @creative_writer @nula_ray @outlander @tonys @Alisse @HardWork @Loiter @MermaidHair 

[Shaz51]

Hello @TideisTurning , @amber22 🙂

[amber22]

We would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the various lands across Australia we are all joining this discussion from. We pay deep respect to the Elders of those Countries, past and present, and we further extend that respect to any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people with us tonight, reading along, or reading back.

Tonight we are joined by our special guest from SANE’s Peer Support Workers, @oscbeep, who I will now invite to introduce herself 😊   

We also to you from our community what brings you to the discussion tonight and anything you may be particularly hoping to get out of the discussion (I.e.  if there is a question you have), or, if you would like, we also encourage you to share a self-care plan for after we wrap up the discussion this evening. 

[oscbeep]

I want to acknowledge the land that I am coming from today- the land of the Bunurong people of the Kulin nation. I want to pay my deepest respects to elders past, present and emerging and extend this respect to any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples that are joining us today. I want to acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded, and this continent always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

 I am a Peer Worker at SANE (I use she/her pronouns) and something that has been really important part of my own journey is learning how to speak up- for myself, for people that I support, for my community of mental health consumers and for the causes that I believe in. I describe myself as a reformed people pleaser who really began a journey of assertiveness in my late 20’s. I think I will always be on this journey because I believe that speaking up, practicing assertiveness and connecting to my sense of agency have become very important parts of my recovery journey, and really my identity too.

 I want to preface everything I share today as being my own perspective- while I’m a Peer worker, I’m not an authority on advocacy or activism- but I have tried my best to find the way to speak up that feels authentic to who I am. To me this feels like a big topic that show up in my own life in many different ways and I expected that this might play into our conversation so please feel free to ask any questions and share any of your own experiences and wisdom in the space tonight.

[amber22]

Welcome! @Shaz51 🙂 I hope you're going well!

[Patchworks]

Hi @TideisTurning @amber22 @Shaz51 @ocsbeep

[TideisTurning]

Welcome @Patchworks @Shaz51 & everyone 😊

[Shaz51]

Hello @Patchworks 🙂

OK here @amber22 

Hello and welcome @oscbeep 

[Oaktree]

Hi @oscbeep 

I too am a people pleaser. My question is how to become more assertive without coming across as overbearing. I really struggle to assert myself and end up as a doormat.

Meggle